NiceLabel recently released version 5.2 of their professional labeling software.  This upgraded version promises more than 500 improvements in their two products (Standard and Enterprise Series).  NiceLabel has been providing solutions to numerous industries for years and the improvements make this labeling software a logical choice for any design or printing requirements.  Some of the new features include:

• Improved Design Options- The standard version now allows you to place text in curved positions on labels
• TWAIN Support- Now images can be acquired from any TWAIN supported device and used in labels
• Support for EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance)- Turn your ordinary RFID labels into anti-theft devices
• Support for EPC TDS (Tag Data Standard)- You’ll keep up to date with the latest EPC Global standards

Download the NiceLabel Demo version to try it out for yourself.  If you’d like more information about either NiceLabel Standard Series or NiceLabel Enterprise Series label software please contact me at ehodges@barcode.com.

I created the QR Code below using a generator I read about in 2d code blog.  The QR Code Generator was created by Jason Delport using the Google Chart API.  I embedded some text in the code, so if you can read it let me know.  I don’t have a phone capable of reading QR codes, so I’m just curious.  So leave me a comment and check out the generator!

I‘ve had several questions recently about retail barcode standards in Europe and I thought it might help to take a closer look at EAN-13.  EAN (European Article Number) has always been the symbology of choice throughout Europe and recently has spread to the U.S. and Canada.  Prior to 2005, any products sold internationally required both a UPC and an EAN barcode, but now EAN-13 is seen worldwide.  EAN-13 is much like the UPC-A code widely used throughout the U.S., with a few small differences.  EAN-13 uses a numbering system (00-99) to include country information, whereas the numbering system for a UPC-A ranges from 0-9.   And of course, EAN-13 has 13 digits compared to the standard 12 digit UPC.  There is also a shorter version of EAN-13 for small packages, known as EAN-8.   A standard EAN-13 includes the following items:

• Country Code or System Code- the first 2 digits of the barcode that represent the country that the manufacturer is registered in, not necessarily the country of origin.
• Manufacturer Code- This is the unique five digit code assigned to a manufacturer by the EAN numbering authority. This is like the unique prefix manufacturers are assigned when they register with GS1 for a UPC.
• Product Code- The product code is the 5 digits that follow the manufacturer code. These are assigned by the manufacturer to represent that specific product.
• Check Digit or Checksum- The check digit is the last digit of the barcode, used to verify that the barcode scans correctly. EAN-13 uses a modulo 10 calculation for the checksum, but if you don’t feel like doing the math, this simple EAN-13 Check Digit Calculator takes out all the hard work.

For more information about EAN-13 or barcode label software that supports it, please contact me at ehodges@barcode.com.

I found these commercials on YouTube the other day and thought they were pretty interesting.  They’re from GS1 Colombia and they showcase the benefits of EPC (Electronic Product Code) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) in a retail environment.  If you read my post about EPC, then you know what it is, how it works and its many benefits, well now you can see it in action.  These commercials will help you understand what kind of an impact EPC and RFID can have on your shopping experience.  I thought I’d add them in a post for that reason, plus they’re kind of fun.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the sun drenched town of Palm Desert California has been facing a record number of thefts in the last 6 months.  But these aren’t your typical thefts-people are stealing the golden barrel cactuses that dot the landscape of this desert town.   Yet surprisingly, depending on size, the golden barrel cactus can actually fetch a hefty sum (from $100-$800).  City officials say that they’ve lost approximately $20,000 worth of cactuses, which has sparked interest in a way to deter criminals from future theft.   In addition to installing surveillance cameras, Palm Desert officials will soon be implanting small microchips with scannable barcodes to track the owner of each golden barrel cactus.  The hope is that this type of tracking will deter criminals.  Pictured above are some golden barrel cactuses from the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona courtesy of Scandblue.